Danmachi: The Focalors Familia Starting from the Dungeon

Once the smoke cleared, the group stepped forward to investigate. They found nothing but several intact magic stones and a few finely crafted brass gears lying in the debris.

”Are these... mechanical parts?”

Daphne picked up a gear, examining it curiously. ”Could these monsters be golems?”

Stowing their new loot, the party pushed onward.

They hadn’t gone far when they ran into a much thornier group of enemies.

Several round, chubby Golden Cloud Toads, shaped like golden incense censers, were accompanied by a pack of lion-headed, bell-bodied Obedient Dracolions, blocking their path.

Almost simultaneously, the toads opened their wide mouths, spewing large clouds of faintly sweet-smelling fog.

The Dracolions unleashed ear-piercing roars, instantly radiating an invisible curse.

”Little Ica.”

Hyacine called upon her companion once more. The pink pegasus gave a cheerful whinny. A gentle light rained down like a soft drizzle, enveloping everyone.

The agility-draining fog and the enervating roars were entirely dispelled the instant they touched the barrier of light.

”Oh ho, curses don’t work.”

Tifa cracked her knuckles excitedly. ”Finally, I can cut loose and fight properly.”

Aiden and Jeanne were completely unaffected from the start. Their S-Rank [Abnormal Resistance] rendered them virtually immune to the vast majority of negative status effects in this world.

With the curses perfectly countered, the battle became trivially easy.

Tifa moved like a graceful black cat, instantly breaking into the enemy formation. Empowered by [Meteor Plume], her rising uppercut launched an Obedient Dracolion into the air, scattering its mechanical parts everywhere.

Daphne’s swordplay was as cold and lethal as moonlight. Her rapier drew streaks of silver through the air, precisely piercing the glowing furnace cores of the Golden Cloud Toads and shutting them down instantly.

With Aiden providing magical fire support, the skirmish ended swiftly. A fresh pile of magic stones and precise mechanical gears littered the ground.

”It seems these new monsters spawn in packs, and they all share mechanical traits.”

During a brief rest, Daphne analyzed the situation. ”The craftsmanship of these gears is incredibly intricate, far beyond the current technological level of Orario. If we can bring these back to a blacksmith Familia for research, they might be able to create brand new magic items, or maybe even golems.”

Listening to his companions’ discussion, Aiden’s gaze drifted toward the deeper darkness of the labyrinth.

He knew this was just an appetizer. The Dungeon’s ”malice” would absolutely not end here.

”Wait...”

After the party systematically wiped out another wave of monsters, Robin—who had been keeping her mental perception active—suddenly frowned and looked toward a specific direction deep within the labyrinth.

”Aiden, there’s a massive amount of magic gathering over there. It’s colossal. And... it’s very stable.”

Hearing Robin’s words, everyone paused.

Daphne and Cassandra exchanged blank, confused looks.

”How is that possible?”

Daphne murmured. ”I’ve come down here several times with the Apollo Familia. Nothing like this has ever happened on the 19th Floor.”

”Should we go take a look?”

Tifa rolled her wrists, her beautiful dark eyes looking toward Aiden.

”Yeah. Let’s go.”

Aiden barely hesitated.

His boldness stemmed from his immense skill. The trump cards he held were enough to handle almost any sudden crisis.

As long as they were careful, there shouldn’t be any extreme danger on the 19th Floor.

After all, this wasn’t the 17th Floor, which was a special floor capable of spawning an overpowered anomaly like the Dead End Butcher.

No one voiced any objections to his decision. He was the Captain, and the strongest pillar of their team.

Linked by Robin’s [Family of Harmony] mental network, the thoughts and senses of all seven members were tightly synchronized.

”Everyone, maintain formation. Prepare for a high-speed advance.”

Robin’s calm voice echoed directly in everyone’s minds. ”Aiden will take point. Tifa and Daphne, you’re on flanking duty—clear the left and right wings. Jeanne, guard the rear and be ready to deploy your magic at a moment’s notice. Hyacine and I will provide ranged suppression and support. Cassandra, monitor everyone’s stamina and mind reserves. Be ready to heal.”

”Understood!”

The group responded in unison. A top-tier raiding party, operating with flawless synergy, shifted into top gear.

Following Robin’s perception, they pushed forward at high speed toward the massive concentration of magic.

Along the way, they encountered an unprecedented horde of monsters. It was as if every creature on the 19th Floor had been drawn by the magic and gathered along this specific path.

”ROAR!”

Up ahead, a dozen agile, bear-like Bugbears mingled with a swarm of the 19th Floor’s common insectoid monsters, Gunmeganes, charging right at them.

”In my way!”

Aiden led the charge. His Fire Spirit Sword Mark II slashed outward, the blade blurring into afterimages as it carved the monsters to pieces.

However, a few exceptionally robust Bugbears broke through his attack range, rushing toward the party despite their injuries.

”Perfect timing!”

Tifa wasn’t startled; she was thrilled. Blurring forward, she met them head-on. Her fists and legs, wrapped in the magic of [Meteor Plume], drew lethal arcs through the air, cleanly shattering the skull of a Bugbear with a devastating kick.

On the flank, Daphne darted forward. Her rapier drew several silver threads in the air, piercing accurately through the eye sockets and joints of the remaining Bugbears with extreme efficiency.

”Mixed battalion of new monsters ahead. There’s a lot of them.”

Robin’s warning echoed once again.

As the group rounded a corner, the sight before them made Daphne and Cassandra inhale sharply.

A mechanical army comprised of dozens of Illumination Dragonfish, Golden Cloud Toads, and Obedient Dracolions practically jammed the entire corridor, radiating an eerie mix of metallic sheen and magical light.

”Hyacine.”

”I’m on it, Robin.”

Understanding perfectly, Hyacine immediately raised Little Ica.

The pink pegasus gave a joyful whinny. A gentle rain of healing light instantly poured down, completely neutralizing the cursing fog of the Toads and the enervating roars of the Dracolions.

”Thank the gods we have Hyacine.”

Daphne patted her chest, lingering fear gripping her heart.

”Robin, snipe the exploding lanterns.”

”Let the music play!”

Robin tapped the air. Invisible sonic shockwaves struck a few twitchy Illumination Dragonfish first, triggering a chain reaction of explosions.

”Why are there so many monsters clustered here?”

Tifa frowned, shattering an Obedient Dracolion into scattered parts with a fierce whip kick.

Jeanne maintained absolute vigilance. The holy flag in her hands glowed with a soft light, ready to deploy [Luminosité Eternelle] at any second to provide the party with impenetrable defense.

Cassandra’s healing magic, [Saul Light], flared up at the perfect moments, ensuring that Aiden, Tifa, and Daphne’s stamina remained at their absolute peak.

Through the seamless, single-minded coordination of the seven of them, this monster army—which would have easily wiped out any other adventurer squad—was utterly eradicated in an overwhelming display of dominance.

Stepping over the corridor now carpeted with monster remains and magic stones, they finally arrived at the source of the gathering magic.

The sight before them caused everyone to hold their breath.

Before them lay an unfathomably massive sinkhole.

The intertwining wooden structures characteristic of the 19th Floor had been violently torn open by an invisible force, creating a sunken, colossal amphitheater.

Right at the center of the amphitheater, a massive, slowly rotating vortex of blue energy—composed entirely of pure magic—pulsed with staggering magical power.

As if sensing the arrival of the living, the gigantic pale-blue vortex violently contracted before expanding again, beating with a steady, powerful rhythm, exactly like the beating heart of a living creature.

”Ley Line...”

Jeanne, who had been staring intently at the vortex, suddenly muttered unconsciously, a faint golden light glowing in her eyes.

”What did you say, Jeanne?”

Aiden’s pupils shrank violently. He looked at the blonde girl in complete disbelief.

”Ley Line... Those are the only two words I can see.”

Jeanne covered her eyes, her voice low, as if she were enduring the shock of an overwhelming influx of information.

Aiden swallowed hard.

Ley Line!

That name shouldn’t exist in this world.

He was absolutely certain that this was intimately related to the concept of the ”Ley Line Blossom” from his memories, yet it was distinctly different.

What exactly was going to spawn from this?

Aiden stared dead ahead at the continuously pulsing vortex of energy, his brow deeply furrowed.

The possibilities and changes he had brought to this world were simply too vast. They were so massive that even he couldn’t predict what new tricks the Dungeon was going to pull.

After all, the Dungeon was alive.

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